Vehicle-wheel.



F. A. FROMMANN. VEHICLE WHEEL. APPLICATION men MAR. 24. 1913.-

Patented. July '17, 1917.

II! A F. A. FROMMANN. VEHICLE WHEEL. APPLICATION FILED MAR- Zfh l9l.3-

Patented July 17, 1917.

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FRANKLIN A. FROMMANN, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, A SSIGNOR T0 OLIVE FBOMMANN'.

VEHICLE-WHEEL.

raaaaea Specification of Letters Patent. Patented July 17, 1917.

Application filed March 24, 1913. Serial No. 756,436.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, FRANKLIN A. FROM- MANN, citizen of the United States, residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Vehicle-VVheels; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

My invention relates to improvements in vehicle wheels, and has for its objects to provide a Wheel equipped with a floating tire which is rotatable upon the felly and is also yieldingly movable relatively thereto radially thereof, and to provide means for preventing noise during the relative movements of the tire and felly in travel.

In the accompanying drawings illustrating a suitable embodiment of my invention:

Figure lis a fragmentary radial section of a wheel embodying my invention.

Fig. 2 is a view similar to Fig. 1 illustrating the structure as adapted to a smaller number of cushions.

Fig. 3- is a view similar to Fig. -2,

showing the structure adapted for a Wood tread.

Fig. 4 is a modified and simplified form of the tire shown in Fig. 2.

Fig. 5 is a side View of a wheel equipped with the tire shown in Fig. 1-.

Fig. 6 is a fragmentary radial section of the wheel equipped with a modified arrangement of the tire and the nonmetallie or anti-noise member carried thereby.

Fig. 7- is a fragmentary enlarged view in respective of one of the non-metallic rings used in the construction of Figs. 1 and 5.

My invention consists essentially in providing a floating tire for vehicle wheels which presents a cushion to the felly and a suitable removable tread to the road to take the wear. The invention may be variously embodied, several examples being shown in the accompanying drawings.

The tire may be mounted upon the felly 2 of any suitable wheel-body 1, it being essential that the felly 2 shall be provided with annular side-flanges 3 and 4: which shall be separable to receive the floating tire therebetween. secured to one side of the felly by means of the screws 5, though any means for efi'ectand 8.

One of said flanges may be 7 ing separation of said flanges, including the split wheel body and felly shown in Fig. -6- may be used.

The tire comprises a ring which is of greater-diameter than the felly 2 and of less diameter than the flanges 3 and 4:. This ring may comprise only one or several members dep'endingupon the number of cushioning rings and treads adapted to be carried thereby. Thus, in Fig. 1, the ring comprises a middle portion 6 and side portions 7 and 8 separable from the portion 6 in the direction of the axis of the ring. The meeting edges of said several portions are preferably provided with suitable interfitting formations 9 such as annular V-shaped grooves in the side edges of the part 6 receiving, the V-shaped edges of the parts 7 These several parts are bolted together by means of the bolts 10 extending through all of the same parallel with the ringaxis. The said bolts 10 also pass through rings 11- (shown in Fig. --7) which are non-metallic and serve to space the portions 7 and 8 from the side flanges and 4t and prevent or reduce the noise in cident to metal rubbing on metal. Said ring may be made of wood or any other material adapted to the purpose, and is provided at regular intervals with side-recesses 12 in which the heads and nuts of the bolts 10 are adapted to be received.

The parts 7 and 8 of the ring are provided at their outer side-edges, opposing the flanges 3 and 4, with inwardly and outwardlv extending annular flanges l3 and 20, and 19 and 23, respectively, which are channeled and have their channeled faces opposing the similar channeled faces of the inwardly and outwardly extending annular ribs 14 and21 of the part 6 of said ring. Said ribs '14: and 21 are disposed midway between the side edges of said part 6.

The channels of said flanges and ribs are adapted to receive the base-flanges of annular cushions 17 interposed between the said ring and the felly 2 of the Wheel-body, and the similar base-flanges of the annular tread-members 16 which project outwardly of the side flanges 3 and 4:. Said parts 16 and 17 consist preferably of rubber though, as shown in Fig. 3, the tread-members 16. may consist of Wood and the flanges between which they are held may be simply convergent toward their outer edges instead of presenting opposed channeled faces.

The ring of the tire may also, as shown in Fig. 2, consist ofonly two instead of three separable parts for retaining oneeacli of the parts 16 and 17 engaged thereWitl1.; I

The ring may similarly-consist ofa' single piece'of metal asshown in F i -l; comprisinga Web 'QQhavin'g two outwardly and two inwardly extending annular side- I flanges 25 and 15, respectively, the members 10 ,nieansof rivets 26;-the width of the'ring 27 being greater thanthe Width ofthe chan n'els 28 and-sewing t'o hold the latter'out of contact -Witli'tl1e side i'lan'ges ofthe telly.

In use, the irin'givillobviously be crowded toapproach thefelly radially'of the latter and against theactionof the cushion 17 radially' opposite the point in" the tread member'lGbearing' the load; The-compression of -the cushion fi Will not be local-asin the tread member, but will be greatest opposite the point; on which the-load bears, and will be distributed tli'rougha crescent' extending tlirougha relatively long are; This will cause 'a iriction'al or tractive engagement of t-he cus'liion with" the telly such as W llltGIICl to entirely'preventrelative rotation ofsaid parts OXCBPttQ the ext'entofthe well-known trawl t'o'fwhich" solid ru' bber tires-of vehicle" Wheels have always" been subj ect.-

, The unequal pressures on the active portie-n of the ring carrying: the parts' 'l6 and 'IT will tend to-d'istbrt'the' same locally to increase its diameter and thus to increase the tractive area of tread surface.

I claim as my invention 1. Wheel having a felly provided with annular side flanges, a floating tire disposed between said flanges and including a ring having non-metallic side edge portions slidposed betaveen the ringand telly, and anannular tread member carried by the ring.

3. A Wheel having a folly: provided with annular side flanges, a floating tire disposed between said flanges' and including a" ring having non-metallic side edge portions slidably engaging said flanges for holding said tire against lateral movement relatively to the telly; annular cushioning means interposed betiveen the ring and felly and'an annular treadmember carried by the ring, said cushioningmeans and tread member removen'gaged with said ring for-preventing rotation' thereof relatively to said, ring.-

In testimonywhereof I: have signed" my name inpresence of two subscribing \vitnesses; g

' FRANKLIN A. FROMMANN;

Witnesses:

' iXDBERT' SGHEIBL'E',

M. M. BOYLE.

Copies-of tliis patnt niajri be obtaii1ed' for five cents each, by, addressingthe Commissioner ofTa'tents;

Washington; DZ'G. 

